Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced that current Chief of Army, LTGEN Angus Campbell will be appointed to the position of Chief of Defence Force (CDF) and promoted to the rank of General, replacing ACM Mark Binskin who will retire in early July.
Mr Turnbull also announced that the current Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS), VADM David Johnston will become Vice Chief of Defence Force (VCDF) to replace VADM Ray Griggs who will retire, and AVM Melvin ‘Mel’ Hupfeld, current Head Force Design in the Vice Chief of Defence Force Group (VCDF Group) will be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal and will replace VADM Johnston as Chief of Joint Operations.
Replacing LTGEN Campbell as Chief of Army will be current Deputy Chief of Army, MAJGEN Rick Burr, while the retiring Chief of Navy VADM Tim Barrett will be succeeded by current Deputy Chief of Navy, RADM Mike Noonan.
LTGEN Campbell is a graduate of the Royal Military College – Duntroon. He has served as a platoon commander in the 3rd Battalion (Parachute) 3RAR, as a troop and squadron commander Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), and as Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, 2RAR.
LTGEN Campbell left Army in 2005 to take up a position as First Assistant Secretary in the Office of National Security, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, before being promoted to Deputy Secretary and appointed to the position of Deputy National Security Adviser.
He returned to Army in 2010 to lead the Military Strategic Commitments staff in Defence headquarters, before assuming command of Australian forces deployed in the Middle East in 2011.
He subsequently served as Deputy Chief of Army from February 2012 to September 2013, was then commanded the Joint Agency Task Force responsible for the implementation of Operation Sovereign Borders, and was appointed Chief of the Australian Army in May 2015.
VADM Johnston graduated from the Royal Australian Naval College in 1982 and later specialised as a Principal Warfare Officer. He has served as Commanding Officer of HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Newcastle, as Director Joint Plans in Strategic Operations Division, and as Commodore Flotillas in Fleet Headquarters.
In 2008 he assumed the role of J3 (Director General Operations) at Headquarters Joint Operations Command. And in October 2010 as Deputy Commander Joint Task Force 633 in the Middle East, for which he was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service.
In 2011 VADM Johnston assumed the role of Deputy Chief Joint Operations Command and then as Commander Border Protection Command. In April 2014 he assumed the appointment of Chief of Joint Operations.
AVM Hupfeld joined the RAAF as an Academy Cadet in January 1980, winning the Flying Prize for his year and graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1983.
He flew Macchi, Mirage and F/A-18 fighters, and became a Fighter Combat Instructor in 1989. He has served as B Flight Commander in 3SQN, Executive Officer as 2OCU, and Deputy Director Aerospace Development.
He assumed command of 75SQN in 2001, and led the unit during the Operation Falconer deployment to the Middle East forwhich he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the squadron received a Meritorious Unit Citation.
He later served as Director Aerospace Combat Development, Officer Commanding 81WG, and Director of the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in the Middle East, Commander Air Combat Group, and Air Commander Australia, before being appointed as Head Capability Systems Division in the former Capability Development Group.
MAJGEN Rick Burr graduated from Royal Military College—Duntroon in 1985. He has served as Deputy Commanding General, US Army Pacific, as commander of the 1st Division/Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, and as commander of the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR).
He has also served as commander of International Security Assistance Force Special Operations Forces (ISAF SOF) in Afghanistan, and Australian Special Forces Task Groups in Afghanistan and Iraq.
RADM Mike Noonan graduated from the Royal Australian Naval College in 1986 with a Diploma of Applied Science.
He qualified as a Principal Warfare Officer and Air Direction specialist, and has served as Chief of Staff in the AustraIian National Command Headquarters where he was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service, as commanding officer of HMAS Parramatta, as Director of Sailor’s Career Management, and as the Chief of Staff in Headquarters Joint Task Force 633 in the Middle East for which he was awarded a second Commendation for Distinguished Service.
He has also served as Commodore Training, Director General Operations in Headquarters Joint Operations Command, and as Director Military Strategic Commitments, and as Commander Border Protection Command
RADM Noonan was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Navy (DCN) in January 2016.